Trim fastener

ABSTRACT

A fastener or adapter for attaching a molding member or the like to a panel surface having a headed button upstanding therefrom, and wherein the panel surface is covered by a sheet of vinyl or the like which extends over and covers the head of the stud. The fastener includes a body portion having means for retaining the molding member tensioned toward the panel and an inclined ramp tensioned against the underside of the button head, the ramp defining a slot to receive the button shank, the proximal end of the slot defining a pair of sharply pointed prongs adapted to pierce the vinyl sheet and slit or tear the sheet for reception of the fastener onto the stud.

United States Patent [191 Meyer Apr. 30, 1974 TRIM FASTENER Primary ExaminerDona1d A, Griffin [75] Inventor: Engelbert A. Meye Union Lake, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burton and Parker Mich. [57] ABSTRACT [73] Atslslgnee' USM Corporatlon Boston Mass A fastener or adapter for attaching a molding member [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1973 or the like to a panel surface having a headed button upstanding therefrom, and wherein the panel surface [21] Appl 339l96 is covered by a sheet of vinyl or the like which extends over and covers the head of the stud. The fastener in- [52] US. Cl. 24/73 HS, 52/718 cludes a body portion having means for retaining the [51] Int. Cl A44b 21/00, E04c 2/38 molding member tensioned toward the panel and an [58] Field of Search.. 52/718; 24/73 PT, 73 HS, inclined ramp tensioned against the underside of the 24/259 PW button head, the ramp defining a slot to receive the button shank, the proximal end of the slot defining a [56] References Cited pair of sharply pointed prongs adapted to pierce the UNITED'STATES PATENTS vinyl sheet and slit or tear the sheet for reception of 3,373,539 3/1968 Meyer 52/718 the fastener onto the Stud 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED APR 30 B74 FlG.6

jfliiiilllj' PATENTEDAPR 30 mm saw 2 OF 3 FlG.4

FIG.2

TRIM FASTENER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a fastener for holding a structural part such as a hollow metal molding to a support having a surface upstanding from which is a headed button engageable with the fastener, wherein both the support surface and the button are covered by a vinyl sheet of the character commonly used in the automobile industry. The button maybe of the general type disclosed in my prior U. S. Pat. No. 3,373,539 hav ing .a shank whose end is welded or otherwise fixed to the panel, and an enlarged head spaced from the panel surface. The fastener is provided with a slot to receive the button shank, which slot terminates in a button seat portion sized to accommodate the button shank and which bears against the underside of the button head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The prior art is exemplified by my two prior US. Pat. Nos. 3,373,539 and 3,670,368, which disclose fasteners or clips similar to that herein disclosed and adapted for use in the retention of molding, specifically the bright metal molding framing the windshield or back,- light opening of an automobile body.

With the advent of the so-called vinyl roof presently in wide use in the automobile field, a sheet of vinyl'is adhesively secured to the automobile panel surface, and bright metal moldings are applied overlying the marginal edges of the vinyl sheet, and framing the windshield and backlight of the vehicle. The bright metal moldings may be secured to the panel by means of fastener assemblies including a headed button and a fastener or clip engaged upon the button and having a with the support surface being covered with a vinyl sheet which likewise extends over and covers the button.,The fastener includes a body defining a pair of spaced legs interconnected by a bridge portion defining means for retaining said molding member, and an inclined ramp disposed between the legs and resiliently connected to the body and defining a slot opening through the proximal ramp end and terminating at the ramp distal end in a button seat, and a pair of sharply pointed prongs on the body at the distal end of the ramp and on opposite sides of said slot adapted to pierce and slit or tear the vinyl sheet to permit proper engagement of the fastener with the stud.

The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a fastener for engagement with a headed stud to secure a molding member to a support, wherein the portion lockingly interfitting within the molding to secure the molding in place. The headed buttons are generally applied by welding in spaced relation along the marginal edge of the panel defining the windshield or backlight opening, and the vinyl sheet is thereafter applied to the panel surface using adhesive, with the vinyl extending right up to the panel flange defining the window opening and thereby covering the heads of the buttons which have been welded to the panel.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to cut the vinyl around each of the welded-on buttons to provide access to the buttons so that the fastener or clip could be easily applied thereto, and the molding thereafter engaged upon the fastener. However, this is a timeconsuming procedure which is undesirable in a fastmoving automobile production line. It has been found that if the vinyl was not cut away from the button be fore applying the fasteners, the fasteners frequently were not properly engaged upon the button, and upon assembly of the molding, there was a possibility that it would not be properly retained, and might well come loose.

The fastener embodying the instant invention is provided to obviate the necessity of slitting or cutting the vinyl sheet to expose the welded-on button, and at the same time to insure that the fasteners will be properly engaged with the button to provide a reliable assembly of the metal molding.

I SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A fastener or clip for securing amolding member to a support having a headed stud upstanding therefrom,

support surface and the stud are covered by a sheet of flexible material such as vinyl or the like. An important feature of the invention is the provision of a pair of sharp prongs which pierce and tear or slit the vinyl surrounding the stud as the fastener is engaged with the stud shank, thereby obviating any possibility that the fastener will not be properly engaged upon the stud due to the interference of the vinyl material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of a fastener embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the fastener taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the fastener showing the same in assembled position engaging a stud;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are cross sections taken along the lines 4-4 and 55 respectively of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken through a body panel of an automobile showing a headed stud welded thereto and a sheet of vinyl material secured to the panel and overlying the stud;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a body panel covered with a vinyl sheet, with the vinyl sheet overlying a stud, and showing the fastener in position to be engaged upon the stud; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 7 showing the fastener assembled on the stud.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Shown in the drawings is a fastener or clip generally indicated at 20 adapted to secure a strip of bright metal molding or the like 22 to a panel 24 covered with a sheet of vinyl 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the panel 24 is provided with an upstanding flange 28 which defines a windshield or backlight opening in an automobile body, the windshield or backlight glass being shown at 30 held spaced from the panel by a resilient insert 32 made out of rubber or the like. It will be-understood that the fastener 20 may be used in other environments, but will be described in the environment shown most particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5.

A series of headed buttons are welded to the surface of the panel 24 spaced from the flange 28, one of said buttons being shown at 34. Each button has a head 36 and a shank 38 and the button head is positioned in predetermined spaced, substantially parallel relation to the adjacent surface of the panel 24. Trim strip 22 shown has a reversely turned lower marginal edge 40 lockingly engaged with a portion of the fastener 20 and an upper marginal bead 42 which bears against the glass 30. Upon assembly of the strip 22 upon the fasteners 20, the molding strip is resiliently deformed slightly so that its upper marginal edge 42 is tensioned against the glass 30, while its lower portion is tensioned against the vinyl sheet 26 as indicated at 44 in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The fastener comprises in general a U-shaped body 46 having a pair of spaced parallel legs 48 and 50 interconnected by a bight portion 52, and an inclined ramp 54 resiliently connected to the body at its distal end as indicated at 56 and 58. The inner end of the body 46, ie that end which lies adjacent the flange or pinch-weld 28, is preferably formed into an upturned flange 60 which serves to give the body rigidity and also presents a smoothly rounded edge 60 providing for easily slidable movement of the fastener over the vinyl sheet 26 during assembly of the fastener on the stud.

The legs 48 and 50 are identical and each has a panel-engaging portion 64 adjacent its inner end and outer end 66 spaced from the vinyl surface by an intermediate offset portion 68, the latter being most clearly shown in FIG. 5. In addition, each leg may be provided with a laterally extending panel-engaging portion 70 having a bubble-like protuberance 72 to reinforce the body of the fastener and make it more rigid. The bridge or bight portion 52 of the body extends generally upwardly and away from the legs 48 and 50 and is provided at its midportion with a depending tab 74 which is struck from the plane of the body and forms a projection for locking engagement with the end 40 of the molding strip 22.

The ram 54 of the fastener 20 is inclined upwardly and terminates in a distal end portion 76 which lies in spaced generally parallel relation to the surface of the panel 24 and bears against the underside of the head 36 of the button 34. A longitudinal slot 78 is formed in the ramp 54 and opens through the upstanding flange 60 of the fastener to accommodate the stud 34. The marginal edges of the slot 78 at its narrowest point are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the stud shank 38, and thus provide a restricted opening through which the stud shank passes upon assembly of the fastener thereon. The walls of the ramp 54 are sufficiently resilient to permit forcible entry of the stud shank within the slot 78. The inner end of the slot shown at 80 defines a button seat having a pair of transverse shoulders 82 which prevent dislodgement of the fastener from the stud once assembled.

The marginal edges of the slot 78 at the proximal end of the ramp define a pair of sharply pointed prongs 84 and 86 on opposite sides of the slot, and the slot edges converge therefrom, as shown most clearly in FIG. 1. The outer edges of each of the prongs 84 and 86 are shaped to define generally V-shaped cutouts 88 and 90 between the prongs and the fastener body. These prongs 84 and 86 are adapted to pierce and cut through the vinyl sheet 26, and thus facilitate assembly of the fastener 20 on the stud 34.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, it is general practice in the automotive industry to adhesively secure the vinyl sheet 26 to the panel 24, with the marginal edge of the sheet shown at 92 positioned immediately adjacent the flange or pinch-weld 28. As the headed studs 34 are welded to the panel 24 prior to the application of the vinyl sheet 26 thereover, it is most convenient to apply the sheet right over the studs 34,

as indicated in FIG. 7 at 94. On assembling a fastener 20 on a stud 34, the vinyl sheet covers the stud, making assembly more difficult and proper assembly uncertain. One way of alleviating this problem is to cut away the vinyl sheet portion 94 from around the stud, thereby exposing the stud for assembly of the fastener thereon. This is a time-consuming and obviously undesirable production step, but was almost mandatory before the introduction of the instant fastener 20 because the vinyl is quite tough and resistant to ripping or tearing, and frequently the studs of the prior art would not be properly engaged with the studs when applied with the vinyl covering the studs. By utilizing the teachings of the instant invention, the vinyl portion 94 may be left in place overlying the stud 34, and the fastener assembled as described herebelow.

In assembling a fastener 20 on a stud 34, the fastener is initially positioned in the location indicated in FIG. 7, and is thereafter forcibly shifted toward the pinchweld 28. The two sharp prongs 84 and 86 initially pierce the vinyl 94 covering the stud, and thereafter slit or tear the vinyl as the fastener is progressively shifted toward the pinch-weld 28. Upon final assembly, the fastener is in the position shown in FIG. 8, with the stud head 36 still covered with a portion 94 of the vinyl sheet, but with the vinyl being slit or torn, exposing the stud shank for engagement of the fastener in proper orientation on the stud.

The distal end of the ramp 54 underlies and bears against the underside of the stud head 36, as shown in FIG. 5, tensioning the fastener against the exposed surface of the vinyl 26. Thereafter the molding strip 22 is engaged with the projection 74 depending from the bight portion 52 of the fastener, and the marginal edge of the molding is locked behind the projection 74 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The bight portion 52 of the fastener is displaced upwardly upon assembly of the molding 22, and thereafter, the fastener exerts a downward pressure against the molding. The molding is also formed so that the upper portion 42 thereof is tensioned against the surface of the glass 30 which in turn exerts a force on the fastener 20 tending to pull it away from the pinch-weld 28. This force acts in a direction tending to dislodge the fastener from the button 34, but movement of the fastener is prevented by the transverse shoulders and 82 between the button seat 80 and the restricted slot 78.

What is claimed is:

l. A fastener for securing a molding member to a support having a headed stud upstanding from the support, with the support surface being covered with a sheet of relatively tough, resilient material, a portion of which extends over and covers the stud head, comprising a body defining a pair of spaced parallel support engaging legs interconnected by a bridge portion having means for retaining said molding member, an inclined ramp disposed between said legs resiliently connected to said body at its proximal end with its distal end lying spaced from said support surface, there being a slot opening through the proximal end of said ramp and through said body and terminating adjacent the ramp distal end in a stud seat portion sized to accommodate the stud shank with the ramp distal end underlying the stud head in tensioned engagement thereagainst, and a pair of sharply pointed prongs on said body at the distal end of said ramp adapted to pierce and slit said sheet stud shank diameter, and said ramp portion being resiliently deformable upon forcible engagement of the fastener on the stud to accommodate the stud shank and securely retain the stud within said seat portion.

4. A fastener as defined in claim 3 characterized in that said prongs exhibit outer marginal edges tapering away from each other defining a generally V-shaped cutout between each prong and the adjacent marginal edge of said body. 

1. A fastener for securing a molding member to a support having a headed stud upstanding from the support, with the support surface being covered with a sheet of relatively tough, resilient material, a portion of which extends over and covers the stud head, comprising a body defining a pair of spaced parallel support engaging legs interconnected by a bridge portion having means for retaining said molding member, an inclined ramp disposed between said legs resiliently connected to said body at its proximal end with its distal end lying spaced from said support surface, there being a slot opening through the proximal end of said ramp and through said body and terminating adjacent the ramp distal end in a stud seat portion sized to accommodate the stud shank with the ramp distal end underlying the stud head in tensioned engagement thereagainst, and a pair of sharply pointed prongs on said body at the distal end of said ramp adapted to pierce and slit said sheet of material on opposite sides of said stud shank as the fastener is engaged upon said stud.
 2. A fastener as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said pointed prongs are inclined upwardly away from the support at their pointed ends.
 3. A fastener as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said prongs have inner marginal edges tapered toward each other from the proximal end of said ramp toward the distal end thereof defining a progressively narrowing slot having a minimum width less than the stud shank diameter, and said ramp portion being resiliently deformable upon forcible engagement of the fastener on the stud to accommodate the stud shank and securely retain the stud within said seat portion.
 4. A fastener as defined in claim 3 characterized in that said prongs exhibit outer marginal edges tapering away from each other defining a generally V-shaped cutout between each prong and the adjacent marginal edge of said body. 